Apparatus for cleaning bags



July 14, 1942. M. A. EIBEN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BAGS I Filed April 3, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS y M. A. E IBEN 2,289,700

I APPARATU$ FOR CLEANING ,BAGS

Filed April 3, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 &

. ATTORNEYS July 14, 1942. M. A. EIBEN 2,289,700

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BAGS V Filed April 5, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet s INVENT OR.

BY 0M Me. @eawu,

ATTORNEYS Patented July 14, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 14 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning bags, and especially such fabric bags as are designed to carry pulverized material, some of which may cling to the inner surface of the bag and require removal before the bag can be again used.

While my invention is adapted for cleaning ordinary bags which after use are open at the end. it has been especially developed to provide for the cleaning of bags of the type known as valve bags which have an opening adjacent the normal bottom of the bag which in use is closed by an internal flap. Such valve bags have been on the market since about the time of the issuance of Patent No. 623,199, granted April 18, 1899, to A. M. Bates.

As shown in the patent mentioned, the bag is originally made with the normal upper end closed. The bag is filled in inverted position by a spout entering a filling opening at one of the corners, which is to be at the bottom in use. As the filling is being completed, the flap within the bag automatically closes the filling opening. The bag then remains full until access is desired, when the top of the bag (i. e., the bottom during the filling) is opened, and the contents extracted in the usual manner. Such bags, after use, especially if made of fabric, have a value for re-use, providing they are effectively cleaned of their former contents. The present invention provides for such cleaning rapidly and efficiently.

The broad principle of the present invention is to mount the empty bag on a support (which in the case of a valve bag is a bar extending into it through the valve opening) and then move the support along a defined path to bring the bag adjacent opening into a conduit into which air is rapidly moving so that the body of the bag is drawn into the conduit and caused to beat violently against a surface thereof while the bag is held by the support, with the result that the contents remaining in the bag is shaken free and discharged The air draft through the bag may be provided by suction applied to the conduit, or by compressed air applied to the support for the bag which enters its interior or both suction and compressed air may be employed.

The present patent relates to apparatus I have devised for carrying out the method above outlined, the method itself being covered in my Divisional Application 360,275, filed October 8, 1940. Several forms of such apparatus are illustrated in the drawings hereof, and are hereinafter more fully described, and other forms (not illustrated) are included within theterms of the appended claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan, partly in section and partly broken away, illustrating one form of apparatus for carrying out my method; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevation of one of the bag supports shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-section of the support shown in Fig. 3, as indicated by the line 4-4 on Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a section through the apparatus of Fig. 1, as indicated by the line 5-5 on Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic vertical section taken on the curved line 6-6 on Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is an elevation of a modified form of apparatus made in accordance with my invention; Fig. 8 is a plan of the embodiment shown in Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation of another modified form of my apparatus; Fig, 10 is a vertical section on the line Ill-l0 on Fig. 9; Fig. 11 i an illustration of a valve bag as originally formed before it is turned wrong side out; Fig. 12 is a view of such bag after using and emptying, showing it mounted on a tubular support, of any of the embodiments of my cleaning apparatus.

Referring first to the embodiment of Figs. 1-6, I0 indicates a suitable standard carrying at its upper end a horizontal disk II which may be a metal plate bolted to the top of the standard It). Journalled in the standard Ml at the center of the disk H is a vertical driving shaft 20. At its upper end this shaft carries a downwardly facing horizontal drum 30. This drum being made of a circular metal disk for the horizontal portion,

' and downwardly extending cylindrical flange 3| at the edge thereof. I have shown a suitable head 2| secured to the upper end of the shaft, and bolted to the disk of the drum 3%. The vertical flange of this drum extends downwardly just outside of a vertical flange 12, on the edge of the stationary disk I i. This flange will hereinafter be described in detail.

Suitable means is provided for rotating the shaft 20. I have indicated, in Fig. 2, a motor 25 connected by a sprocket chain 25, with suitable gearing in a reducer 21, terminating in a bevel pinion 28 which meshes with a bevel pinion 29 on the lower end of the shaft 20. Accordingly,

when this motor is operated, the inverted drum 3|] is rotated at a comparatively slow speed, due to the reducer 21.

Projecting radially from the drum 30, by being secured to its vertical flange 3|, are a number of hollow tubes 40. I have shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the hollow tube as screwed into the flange 3|,

and also welded thereto. The tube has several longitudinal slits in it, three being shown as indicated at 4|. The end of the tube as shown is closed by a plug 43.

The space within the hollow drum above the stationary disk II constitutes an air chamber which may be supplied with compressed air from a compressor 50, through a conduit 5!, discharging through the stationary disk ll. Standing close to the rotating flange 3| is an arcuate conduit 60, shown as carried by upright supporting bars 66. This conduit is open at its ends, and may be composed of an arcuate top-plate 6| (which may be in about the same plane with the top of the drum 3!!) a corresponding arcuate bottom plate 62. and a partially cylindrical outer wall 63 connected to the top and bottom plates, and two partially cylindrical inner walls 64 and 65 spaced apart a distance somewhat greater than the thickness of the radial bars 40.

The arcuate chamber described stands immediately adjacent the rotating turret with the two spaced inner walls 64 and 65 substantially in engagement with the drum flange 3|, and with a number of the radial bars 40 extending into the arcuate chamber by reason of the slot between the two walls 64 and 65. The arcuate chamber described preferably extends about the turret for approximately a half circumference. way ofits length this chamber has a discharge port 61 in its bottom wall 62, and from this discharge port a conduit 68 leads to the casing 69 of a rotary suction producer.

About mid- The flange l2 heretofore referred to on the stationary disk H, is formed for about half the circumference, and in a position opposite the arcuate conduit, but at the conduit, or at least for the greater portion thereof, this flange is omitted. The result is that there is a free passage of air from the space within the drum into those supporting tubes which are well within the arcuate conduit, while those outside of the conduit have their bores closed by the flange I2.

The disk H and the flange l2 are preferably,

provided with an annular leather packing strip l5 which engages the inner surface of the drum flange 3|. This engagement is below the entrance to most of the tubes 40, which are in the arcuate chamber while it is above those tubes which are outside of the chamber.

It results from the construction described that compressed air from the compressor 50, admitted through the conduit 5| to the space within the drum passes freely into the supporting tubes 4!] which are within the arcuate conduit 60, but cannot pass into those tubes 40 which are outside of such conduit.

The drum 30 in the embodiment of Fig. 1 is supposed to be rotated in a clock-wise direction as indicated by the arrow. Accordingly, bags A placed on some of the projecting tubes 40 outside of the arcuate conduit 60, will be carried into this conduit over the discharge passageway 61, and finally discharged through the other open end of the arcuate conduit into a position where they may be removed.

To enable convenient passage of a depending bag A into the arcuate conduit, I provide a chute 10 secured to the conduit adjacent its entrance. This chute, which is in the nature of an open trough inclined upwardly to the conduit, enables the bag as it reaches the chute to be deflected into an approximately horizontal position.

A pronounced suction is applied by the fan de vice 69 through the conduit 68 and port 61 to the arcuate chamber, notwithstanding the open ends of that chamber. Accordingly, as I have indicated in the diagrammatic sectional elevation (Fig. 6) the bags A as they enter the arcuate conduit, flap violently against the bottom thereof, and then come over the down take pipe 61 where they beat back and forth against opposite Walls thereof, shaking the contents loose, and finally are discharged through the open end of the arcuate conduit in a substantially clean condition.

The bag A was originally formed with its flap external by bending the corner of the tubular fabric inwardly and sewing across the remaining extreme end while the bag is wrong side out as indicated in Fig. 11. When the bag is turned right side out, this open portion becomes a flap on the inside as shown in Fig. 12. Before originally filling such a bag, the end of the bag shown in the lower extremity of Fig. 12 is sewed closed, but this sewing is removed when the bag is empty, so that the bag when received to be cleaned is entirely open at one end, and has the valve opening at the other end.

Now in cleaning such a valve bag as just described, by the apparatus of Figs. 1 to 6, the attendant stands at the right-hand side of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1, and places the bags one after the other on the projecting tubes 45 adjacent his left hand, as he faces the machine. Such bags then engage the chute l0 and pass into the open end of the arcuate conduit by reason of the suction in that conduit, and beat violently against the conduit walls, particularly the base of the conduit.

As soon as such bag-carrying tube 40, in this movement of the drum, passes beyond the end of the stationary flange [2, such tube receives compressed air from the interior of the drum, and thus the bag as it travels about in the arcuate conduit has suction acting on the exterior and compressed air on the interior which crumples or distorts the bag and beats it back and forth vigorously against the walls of the conduit, thus loosening any material remaining in the bag, so that as the bag comes over the discharge port 61 the contents is discharged into that port.

The air suction carries into the port 6? any contents which have been shaken out in passing from the open end of the conduit to the port 61. Suction also exists through the other open end of the conduit around past the clean bags so that even after they have left the port 61 they are further subjected to compressed air on the interior and suction on the exterior. Thus the bags are thoroughly cleaned by the time they emerge from the conduit. After they have emerged the attendant takes them off the projecting supporting tubes 45 beyond the arcuate conduit, leaving those tubes free to receive fresh bags for cleaning.

The discharge material from the bags while they were in the arcuate conduit is drawn by the suction from each arm of the conduit down through the port 61, and the down-take pipe 68 into the suction fan 69. The discharge from this fan may lead to a separating device similar to a dust collector (not shown) whereby the material loosened from the bags may be recovered for future use. I have illustrated in Fig. 1, a motor directly coupled to the air compressor 50 and connected by a belt 8| to the suction fan but this construction is of course optional.

Any material that drops from the bags by gravity, or accidental shaking, as they are put in place on the projecting arms 40 for cleaning may pass through a grating 90 (Fig. 2) below such bags into a chamber 9|, from which it may be removed in any desired manner.

It will be understood that the turret described rotates at a comparatively slow rate of speed, determined by the speed at which the attendant or attendants may conveniently install the soiled bags and remove the cleaned bags. Such speed gives ample time for the bags to be thoroughly cleaned in transit through the suction conduit. The compressed air supplied to each bag through the tube 40 supporting the bag need not be of very high pressure. The suction, however, is preferably quite vigorous so as to cause an effective beating of the bag against the conduit walls.

In Figs. '7 and 8, I have illustrated a simpler form of apparatus. In this case, the tubular supporting arms Ma are mounted parallel with each other in a circular course on one side of a vertical disk I80 which is carried by a shaft IOI journalled in a suitable standard I82. A sprocket chain Ili3 indicates means for driving this shaft to rotate the disk. At one edge of the vertical turret comprising the disk and tubes is a suction conduit III], on a suitable support III. This conduit is connected with a suction fan H2.

The bags indicated at A may be placed successively on the tubes 40a at the right hand edge of the machine in Figs. 7 and 8; then these tubes with their depending bags pass through the lower half circle of rotation of the disk I into a position opposite the mouth of the suction conduit Iiil, where the bag is drawn violently into the conduit, causing it to beat against the upper and under walls thereof. At the same time that this is taking place the open end of the tube 49a comes into communication with the stationary air chamber I20 behind the disk Illt! so that compressed air from the conduit I2! passes into the interior of the bag at the same time that the eX- terior is subjected to suction.

The contents of the bag loosened by the suction and compressed air in this embodiment, passes into the suction conduit and is discharged by the' fan. The cleaned bags pass from the suction passageway over the upper portion of the course of the tubular supports 40a. and are removed at the front or right hand end of the machine just above the location where the soiled bags for cleaning are to be installed.

Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate a still simpler embodiment of my invention. In this case, I have two tubular bags supporting arms 40b mounted in a hollow shiftable head I30. This head may be moved to carry the bag on either arm 49b into registration with the opening of a suction conduit 2:551, which leads to a suction fan MI. I have shown the shiftable head I30 as having ribs I 3| at its front and back which occupy grooves in a stationary supporting bar I35. This supporting bar is mounted in suitable frame work illustrated by the angle bars I35 and the wooden support I31.

A compressed air pipe I38 leads through the top of the frame bar I35 to a port I39. Within the shiftable head I30 are two passageways I33 which lead from the two tubes 4% to two ports I3 3, either of which may register with the port I353. The ports are so spaced that when this registration is effected, the corresponding tube 40b is directly in front of the entrance to the suction conduit I40.

In operating the apparatus indicated in Figs. 9 and 10 (assuming that the head I3!) is in its extreme right-hand position against a stop I) the bag A may be placed on the projecting tube 4%, which is at the right hand in Fig. 10; then the head I30 is shoved to its extreme position at the left hand where it is stopped by engaging the peg I46. This brings the arm 43b carrying the bag directly in front of the mouth of the suction conduit I 48 and at the same time brings the corresponding port I34 into communication with the compressed air port I39. Thus compressed air is supplied to the interior of the bag and suction acts on the exterior and draws it into the conduit and beats it violently, as indicated in Fig. 9.

While this beating action is taking place on the bag on the right hand support, the left hand support is projected at the left hand portion of the machine with the cleaned bag ready for removal. Thus bags are placed alternately, first on one tube 4% and then on the other, as the head is shifted back and forth and carries the soiled bag to cleaning position, and the cleaned bag to removal position.

It will be seen that each of the three forms of apparatus shown is characterized by providing a plurality of tubular supports, so that the attendant may place a bag on the support or remove a bag from the support while another bag is being subjected to cleaning action by suction app-lied to a conduit with which the bag carrying support at the time is in cooperation. It will likewise be seen that compressed air is automatically connected to a tubular support carrying a bag whenever such .bag is opposite the mouth of the suction conduit.

In all of these cases shown in the drawings the bag is supported by a tubular supporting bar entering the bag through the valve opening.

' While I consider it very desirable to have this support in this tubular form, and subjected at the proper time to compressed air, I have found that some of the advantages of my invention may be obtained without the compressed air, the support being in that case, for instance, a solid rod entering the bag through the valve opening and supporting it in position so that the bag is acted on violently by suction, as the bag is drawn from the support into the suction conduit.

I claim: i

1. An apparatus for cleaning used valve having an open end, comprising a support for the bag adapted to enter the interior through the valve opening, a conduit, means for establishing a moving current of air in the conduit, and means for moving the support to carry the bag into position adjacent an opening into the conduit while the support extends transversely of the direction of the air-flow in the conduit.

2. An apparatus for cleaning used valve bags comprising a tubular bar adapted to enter the bag through the valve opening, means for supplying compressed air to the interior of the bar, means for moving the bar across the mouth of a conduit, and means for supplying suction to said conduit, whereby the bag will be drawn into the conduit and caused to beat against a resisting surface therein.

3. In an apparatus for cleaning bags, the combination of a movable member having means for engaging a plurality of bags crosswise of their normally closed ends, a suction conduit having an open mouth, said member being movable to bring one of the supported bags into position where suction will draw the bag into the conduit and cause it to beat against a surface therein, the other bag being simultaneously moved by the member to a position where it may be removed.

4. The combination of a movable member carrying a plurality of tubular bars with openings through their walls, each bar being adapted to support a bag, a conduit having an open mouth, the movement of the member carrying one of the bags into coaction with said mouth and carrying the other bag mentioned away from the conduit, means for supplying suction to the conduit, a chamber adapted to contain compressed air, means for supplying compressed air to said chamber, and means for coupling said chamber with the tubular bar carrying the bag when it is in cooperation with the suction conduit.

5. An apparatus for cleaning valve bags comprising a rotary turret, a series of projecting bars carried thereby, each adapted to enter the valve opening of a bag and support it, a conduit adjacent the turret having a mouth past which the bars travel successively as the turret rotates, the bar at the month extending crosswise of the length of the conduit and means for establishing suction in such conduit.

6. An apparatus for cleaning bags comprising a rotary turret, a series of hollow bars carried thereby, each adapted to enter a bag and support it, a conduit adjacent the turret having a mouth past which the bars travel successively as the turret rotates, means for establishing suction in the conduit, and means for supplying compressed air to the interior of said hollow bars at a time when the bar is opposite the mouth of the conduit.

'7. In a machine for cleaning bags, the combination of a horizontal rotary turret having.

radially projecting horizontal bars, an arcuate horizontal conduit adjacent the turret open at its ends and having a slot in its wall which is adjacent the turret whereby as the turret rotates the bars pass into said slot and travel through the conduit, a suction producing device. and a tubular connection between it and said conduit having an open horizontal mouth across which the bars travel.

8. In a machine for cleaning valve. bags, the combination of a horizontal rotary turret having radially projecting tubular arms with openings through their walls, an arcuate conduit adjacent the turret open at its ends and having a slot in its wall which is adjacent the turret, whereby as the turret rotates the bars pass into said slot and travel through the conduit, an air chamber within the turret, means for establishing communication between the air chamber and tubular bars which are within the arcuate conduit, while preventing communication with the tubular bars which are outside of the conduit, and means for supplying suction to the arcuate conduit and compressed air to the chamber.

9. A bag cleaning apparatus, comprising a vertical disk mounted to rotate on a horizontal axis, a set of horizontal bars parallel to each other projecting from one side of the disk, and each adapted to support a bag, a conduit having a vertical open mouth adjacent the path of travel of the bars, and means for supplying suction to said conduit,

10. In a bag cleaning apparatus, the combination of a reciprocable head, a pair of tubular bars projecting from the head, each adapted to carry a bag, a conduit having an open mouth, the reciprocation of the head bringing first one bar and then the other opposite the mouth of the conduit, means for establishing suction through the conduit, and means for supplying compressed air terminating in a port, said head having passageways leading to the two tubular bars and terminating in respective ports either of which may register with the compressed air port when the corresponding bar is opposite the mouth of the conduit.

11. An apparatus for cleaning bags, comprising a movable member provided with means for carrying a plurality of bags, said means comprising bag-supporting devices adapted to engage and support the bag substantially across its normally closed end, a suction conduit having an open mouth, means for guiding the memher so that when it is moved one bag is carried into the mouth of the suction conduit and a clean bag is simultaneously moved from such mouth whereby the latter bag may be removed.

12. An apparatus for cleaning bags comprising an open-mouthed conduit, means for establishing suction into such open mouth and along the conduit, a movable member having a set of projecting devices, each adapted to engage a bag adjacent its normally closed end and support it substantially across such closed end, means for moving such member to present the open ends of one bag after another to said open mouth while such bag is supported externally of the mouth.

13. An apparatus for cleaning bags comprising an open-mouthed conduit, means for establishing suction into such open mouth and along the conduit, a movable member having a set of projecting bars each adapted to enter a bag through the valve opening adjacent its normally closed end and support the bag substantially across such closed end, means for moving such member to present the open ends of one bag after another to said open mouth while such bar extends crosswise of the open mouth.

14. In an apparatus for cleaning valve bags, the combination of a movable bar adapted to enter the bag through the valve opening and extend across the interior thereof at the closed end, a suction conduit having an open mouth, and means for so supporting said bar and so moving it that it travels across the open end of the suction conduit while extending crosswise thereof, thus holding the bag while the open end thereof enters the conduit and is beaten as a result of the suction.

MICHAEL A. EIBEN. 

